


What Goes Unseen

by LoneStar



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, BAMF!Bofur, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, M/M, Oblivious Bilbo, Rating May Change, Ring Problems, it could get dark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 20:16:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12306924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoneStar/pseuds/LoneStar
Summary: In which Bilbo realizes, right out of Goblintown, that using the ring in battle isn't always the best choice.





	What Goes Unseen

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo I wrote this instead of updating my main fic, because I'm trash. The summary is vague to avoid spoiling what happens, but I hope you guys enjoy my slice of Boffins pie.

The sound of feet brushing rock woke Bofur from his restless slumber at the cave entrance, his eyes squinting into the darkness. His eyes alit on Bilbo's small frame, crouched against the ground, packing his bag. A quick glance to the left revealed cloudy, sunless skies. It must be the middle of the night.

What could ~~his~~ _the_ hobbit be doing?  
  
Bofur stared, but did not yet speak up. Perhaps Bilbo was just rearranging in order to sleep better, so he'd have more space...

Yea, that must be it.

But then Bilbo stood, bag in tow, picking his way slowly and carefully through the sleeping company.

Bofur's heart began to race.

As Bilbo reached the cave entrance, Bofur reached out, catching his wrist. Bilbo gave a start, looking around sheepishly to make sure no one else had seen him.

"Where do ya think yer goin'?", Bofur spoke, his voice a hushed whisper, eyes scanning the hobbits face as he tried not to imagine the answers he'd get.

Bilbo twisted slightly, trying to escape his grasp, and had Bofur thought that Bilbo would actually leave the moment he let go, he never would have. But Bilbo seemed resigned to at least answering his question, so he let his hand fall away.

The hobbit turned, leveling Bofur with a stare that made his stomach flop. His eyes spoke volumes, filled with doubt, the smallest window to the war within his head.

"Back to Rivendell", Bilbo said, in a way that didn't invite further discussion.

Rivendell? Why? Why'd you change your mind? Where will you go? You can't just leave  ~~~~me!

All these questions and more rose to the forefront of Bofurs mind, but he swallowed them back, schooling his thoughts into a more reasonable order.

Damn it all, Bofur was not about to let him go.

"No, no no, no. Yeh can't turn back now, yer a part of ~~me~~ _the company_ , yer one of us!"

Bofur fought to keep his feelings under control, lest he speak out and scare the hobbit off. How could he even begin to tell Bilbo of his thoughts? How he'd watched him with quiet interest since the beginning, as he got more comfortable within the company and began to open up about his life. How, when Bofur heard him tell tales of his youth, he ached to partake in such cozy pleasures with him?

And last, how he had used every ounce of restraint to avoid gathering the hobbit in his arms whenever he brought up his late parents, the loneliness of his past echoing into the present.

He couldn't.

Oh, how he wanted to, but now was neither the time nor place for laying his heart bare.

"I'm not though, am I?" Bilbo huffed bitterly, pulling Bofur back to reality.

"Thorin said I should never have come, and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins, and I don't know what I was I thinking...I should never have run out my door."

"Yer _homesick_! I understand" Bofur said with a sigh, ready to console him and tell Bilbo of his home and life in the Blue Mountains. Of how he'd agreed to get Thorin his home back, and how remarkably similar that made them.  
  
"No, you _don't_ , you _don't_ understand! _None_ of you do- you're **dwarves**! You're used to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not _belonging_ anywhere!" Bilbo spat out uncharacteristically.

Ouch. Again, Bilbo had completely ignored the fact that they were **on a quest** to reclaim a kingdom lost. Had there been time, Bofur would have sat and talked as long as it took to convince Bilbo to stay. That their journey was so much more with him here.

All he did, though, was keep his face blank, waiting to hear what else the hobbit could say. What else he could forget in his rush to leave  ~~him~~ them _all_  behind.

Realizing his folly, Bilbo backpedaled and stuttered out an apology, looking anywhere but at the dwarf before him. The hobbit turned to leave once more, throwing a sad smile over his shoulder before facing the night.

Bofur had had enough. Taking a deep breath, he stepped in closer to Bilbo, ready to risk it all if it meant just a moment more with him. One last chance to convince.

A light blue glow from the hobbits waist stole Bofurs attention, his eyes widening as he recalled Elrond's appraisal of the weapon...

Before he could get a word out, the ground shuddered and groaned before dropping out from below them, the company hurtling into the inky depths of the mountain.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry! I know this chapter was short and it probably felt a lot like a transcript of the movie, but I was trying to set the stage for some feelings, and show where things stand before shit hits the fan. Don't hesitate to kudos/critique so I can know how I'm doing and what I can do better.


End file.
